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Posted May 4, 2006 10:53 am

Drew unknowingly enters Jaguars' RB debate

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Rookie running back Maurice Drew had no idea he'll be a central figure in what is likely to be the most intriguing drama during the Jaguars' training camp: The future of veteran running back Fred Taylor in Jacksonville.

If Drew, drafted in the second round out of UCLA, can prove he can combine with Greg Jones to form the Jaguars' 1-2 running back punch, the Jaguars could decide they don't need Taylor and his $2.55-million salary.

Taylor, 30, also said at the start of the Jaguars' off-season program last month that pro football is a business, an "unloyal" one at that, and he could wind up "on the street" if the Jaguars found somebody better.

Adding another dimension to the situation was Taylor's decision to train in the off-season in Miami instead of participating in the team program.

Drew, who was introduced to the Jacksonville media Tuesday along with the team's first-round pick, college teammate Marcedes Lewis, wasn't aware of all these developments.

"I'm on the West Coast," he said. "I didn't hear anything about that. I was 3,000 miles away. I don't think word travels that fast."

Drew said he's looking forward to learning from Taylor, who will begin his ninth season.

"He can teach you how to take care of your body, how to run the ball, off-the-field issues, everything. He's been here so long, he knows what's going on. I'm going to be like a sponge trying to soak up what he gives me. I'm going to try to be a student of the game and be mentored by him and the coaches," he said.

Coach Jack Del Rio repeatedly has said that Taylor is still in his plans.

Drew has to prove that, at 5-foot-7, he's more than a specialist. He hopes to show he's another Joe Morris, not another Eric Bienemy.

Morris, a 5-7 running back for the New York Giants in the 1980s, rushed 1,411 times for 5,585 yards in his career. He carried 341 times on their 1986 Super Bowl team, 294 times in 1985 and 307 times in 307. He was a featured back despite his size.

Drew, though, is too young to remember Morris, but he does know Bienemy, who was Colorado's all-time leading rusher with 3,940 yards and was third in the 1990 Heisman Trophy balloting. Bienemy, now the Vikings' running back coach, recruited him as a UCLA assistant.

Bienemy was selected in the second round of the 1991 draft but didn't duplicate his college success. He never had more than 98 carries in a season. That was in Cincinnati in 1995, when he rushed for his career high of 381 yards. He played nine years in the league and rushed 387 times for 1,589 yards.

Like Drew, Bienemy was listed at 5-7, although Drew said, "I'm taller than he is."

Drew, who scored every 11.5 times he touched the ball last season, isn't worried about his stature. He said he was one of the taller students in grade school in northern California until he stopped growing in high school. He wants to prove he can play in the NFL at 5-7.

"I'm going to go out there and play with a chip on my shoulder," he said.

Drew said he's more worried about the alligators in Jacksonville than the players on the field.

He said he's scared of "anything that can bite and twist and tear your leg out."